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Feedback on value oriented purchase for my mom's 70th bday - Lightbox alternatives?

fullsun

fullsun

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Messages
34
Hi, LGD/MMD newbie here seeking some advice!

My mother's 70th birthday is approaching and I'd like to get her a 1 ct diamond pendent or bracelet. However, I have a tight budget so I'm aiming for the most "bang for buck" purchase.

I've heard a lot about Lightbox on this forum and I'm wondering if they're still the best option for getting a decent/above average stone (very good optics, faces up white, and is eye clean) for under $1000. If possible I'd like to stay around $700 or lower.

Should I stick with Lightbox or are there other of options that are just as affordable? I would greatly appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions, tia!
 
If you want a one carat pendant, a Lightbox necklace from Bloomingdales purchased with a coupon code is about as affordable as it gets. I have one of their 1 carat necklaces in white gold purchased from Bloomingdales and I am quite positive it came in just under $700.
I believe Bloomingdales let’s you stack promotions so if you wait for a 25% off sale and create an account with a new email address (I think it was a 15% off first purchase?) you should be right in budget.
If you can’t wait for that, Lightbox does have an Outlet section on their website but I believe most of those pieces are set in silver- they would be right at your budget though no coupon needed.
 
anangel said:
If you want a one carat pendant, a Lightbox necklace from Bloomingdales purchased with a coupon code is about as affordable as it gets. I have one of their 1 carat necklaces in white gold purchased from Bloomingdales and I am quite positive it came in just under $700.
I believe Bloomingdales let’s you stack promotions so if you wait for a 25% off sale and create an account with a new email address (I think it was a 15% off first purchase?) you should be right in budget.
If you can’t wait for that, Lightbox does have an Outlet section on their website but I believe most of those pieces are set in silver- they would be right at your budget though no coupon needed.
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Oh that sounds perfect! Thanks for the heads up on stacking coupons.

Mom's bday is in October so I have a bit of time. Looks like their app is offering 25% off right now (code APP25 in case anyone else is curious) in addition to $25 in points for every $100. I wonder if a better deal will pop up between now and October?

So exciting!
 
@anangel Can you kindly speak on your opinion of the optics/light proformance of Lightbox rounds? (I'm assuming your pendant was also a round brilliant, but please correct me if I'm mistaken)

I'm hoping to get something that's better than most mall store offerings but I understand that they won't be super ideal/PS standard.
 
anangel said:
If you haven’t already, check this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/follow-this-thread-to-be-alerted-to-bloomingdales’-lightbox-sales.257257/page-10#post-4998500
I think for the price, they’re very nice- really, where else are you going to find a one carat diamond and gold setting for $1k? I hear Bloomingdales returns are pretty painless too if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
Click to expand...

Much appreciated, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled! It's good to hear that Bloomingdales is generous with their return process. And you're absolutely right, a couple of years ago I couldn't have imagined getting a nice 1ct for under 1k, love that I discovered this forum!
 
I own several Lightbox diamonds and they are all beautiful. I bought two of those 1 ct pendants and turned them into earrings. I also have 1 ctw round earrings, a princess cut pendant, 1/3 ctw blue diamond earrings, and a blue diamond pendant.
 
fullsun said:
@anangel Can you kindly speak on your opinion of the optics/light proformance of Lightbox rounds? (I'm assuming your pendant was also a round brilliant, but please correct me if I'm mistaken)

I'm hoping to get something that's better than most mall store offerings but I understand that they won't be super ideal/PS standard.
Click to expand...

I have a LB pendant and earrings, all rounds. Compared to mall jewelers LB are MUCH better on clarity, and reasonably better on color and cut. I think your mother will be very pleased.
 
Thank you both for your feedback on Lightbox's quality. It makes me feel much better about making a purchase. Now I just gotta wait for a sale lol.
Jax172 said:
I own several Lightbox diamonds and they are all beautiful. I bought two of those 1 ct pendants and turned them into earrings. I also have 1 ctw round earrings, a princess cut pendant, 1/3 ctw blue diamond earrings, and a blue diamond pendant.
Click to expand...


kgizo said:
I have a LB pendant and earrings, all rounds. Compared to mall jewelers LB are MUCH better on clarity, and reasonably better on color and cut. I think your mother will be very pleased.
Click to expand...
 
While I love the LB diamonds I have, I did not care for the original settings they came in. The pendants are fixed vs. on a slider, can flip etc.

If your budget allows, also check out Lightbox on Blue Nile. They have better settings in higher karat gold. I haven't bought any Lightbox jewelry from Blue Nile myself, but it seems like the settings are better.

Another option is to reset the diamond in a different setting!
 
MRBXXXFVVS1 said:
While I love the LB diamonds I have, I did not care for the original settings they came in. The pendants are fixed vs. on a slider, can flip etc.

If your budget allows, also check out Lightbox on Blue Nile. They have better settings in higher karat gold. I haven't bought any Lightbox jewelry from Blue Nile myself, but it seems like the settings are better.

Another option is to reset the diamond in a different setting!
Click to expand...

Certainly a consideration! I haven't heard of Blue Nile having as good a discount as Bloomingdales but if I stumble across a sale, Ill definitely take a closer look.
 
Update for anyone who's curious!

Ended up getting the .75 ct blue Lightbox pendant from Bloomingdale's. It happened to be on sale and after applying coupons it came out to be $315 + tax:dance:. My mom is enjoying it happily and likes that it's something different as most of her other pieces have white stones.

From my untrained eyes, it's nice and sparkly with a nice pale/baby blue color. Went kinda crazy with the photos but here they are! ASET images are with diy scope, so not the most accurate. What do you guys think?!20210824_211228.jpg20210824_211444.jpg20210828_230927.jpg20211028_112353.jpg20211028_112748.jpg
 
Looks beautiful! I hope your mom enjoys her wonderful present!
 
Love your DIY scope pictures!
 
How did you do the pictures if I may ask? I have the hardest time getting good pictures!
 
Thank you! I was hoping the scope images would be helpful to those who are curious about the cut quality of Lightbox’s rounds.

For the ASET photos, all credit goes to these 2 threads. Thank you to @flyingpig and @diamondfinder for their guides.

DIY ASET and Ideal Scope

Hi Pricescopers! I've been looking for an engagement ring for the past few weeks and have been reading Pricescope nonstop. I've learned a lot since I first started and wanted to give a little back to others on this forum. One of the most important things I learned here is the importance of...
www.pricescope.com

DYI ASET (Nerdy Stuff). Ver 2.0

Hi. I am uploading this for those who want to assess their diamonds bought online without the ASET images or shopping at a B&M and don't want to spend $ on the ASET or IS scopes There is already a thread about this. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diy-aset-and-ideal-scope.226126/...
www.pricescope.com

For the other photos, I placed the pendent on a flat white background, then surrounded it in a white cylindrical ”casing” (think white toilet paper roll, lol; I just rolled up some white printer paper and that also did the trick). From there, I simply used my phone’s camera. It was mostly trial and error with the camera’s zoom and flash settings. Just play around with it and you’ll end up with at least a few decent photos. Good luck!
 
Cool images.
A nice thing about the DIY scope is that you get to fine-tune the scope and learn the effect of tilt and lighting on diamond's appearance and performance.
Good job!
 
That is a lovely blue color and a beautiful diamond!
 
flyingpig said:
Cool images.
A nice thing about the DIY scope is that you get to fine-tune the scope and learn the effect of tilt and lighting on diamond's appearance and performance.
Good job!
Click to expand...

Thanks! And very true, it’s a fun little weekend project.

Thank you, Kim N!
 
fullsun said:
Update for anyone who's curious!

Ended up getting the .75 ct blue Lightbox pendant from Bloomingdale's. It happened to be on sale and after applying coupons it came out to be $315 + tax:dance:. My mom is enjoying it happily and likes that it's something different as most of her other pieces have white stones.

From my untrained eyes, it's nice and sparkly with a nice pale/baby blue color. Went kinda crazy with the photos but here they are! ASET images are with diy scope, so not the most accurate. What do you guys think?!20210824_211228.jpg20210824_211444.jpg20210828_230927.jpg20211028_112353.jpg20211028_112748.jpg
Click to expand...

Omg! I have been searching for this shade of blue!!! My aset and ideal scope for the pink LB showed that the cutting was very very terrible.

I m pleasantly surprised by how your blue turned out.
 
Last edited:
Wow-it's so beautiful and such a lovely gesture! I once bought my mom(37 years ago?) an irish claddaugh ring in gold, and she's actually here visiting from out of state, and is wearing it! I was thrilled to see it on her.

I just ordered 4 ctw loose white stones from Lightbox and they are being set into stud earrings. I LOVE the super ideal stones, but wow, an amazingly affordable treat for myself. I have been researching lab stones for awhile, and feel so thankful to have found such pretty stones.

Your mom is blessed to have you=)2
 
La2020 said:
Omg! I have been searching for this shade of blue!!! My aset and ideal scope for the pink LB showed that the cutting was very very terrible.

I m pleasantly surprised by how your blue turned out.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I too think I lucked out with the color :praise: it really is a lovely soft blue. It’s fun to watch it change hues with different lighting.

Sorry to hear about your pink LB! I’ve been hearing that the pinks are hit-or-miss, both in terms of color and cut, especially more recently. Its unfortunate but at least LB (and Bloomingdales in my case) have a decent return policy!
 
pinklemonadegurl said:
Wow-it's so beautiful and such a lovely gesture! I once bought my mom(37 years ago?) an irish claddaugh ring in gold, and she's actually here visiting from out of state, and is wearing it! I was thrilled to see it on her.

I just ordered 4 ctw loose white stones from Lightbox and they are being set into stud earrings. I LOVE the super ideal stones, but wow, an amazingly affordable treat for myself. I have been researching lab stones for awhile, and feel so thankful to have found such pretty stones.

Your mom is blessed to have you=)2
Click to expand...

I hope my mom gets to enjoy hers for just as long! Thank you for your kind words!

The LB loose stones are a major temptation, loving seeing what everyone has been doing with them. Can’t wait to see your studs, they will absolutely POP. :drool:
 
fullsun said:
Update for anyone who's curious!

Ended up getting the .75 ct blue Lightbox pendant from Bloomingdale's. It happened to be on sale and after applying coupons it came out to be $315 + tax:dance:. My mom is enjoying it happily and likes that it's something different as most of her other pieces have white stones.

From my untrained eyes, it's nice and sparkly with a nice pale/baby blue color. Went kinda crazy with the photos but here they are! ASET images are with diy scope, so not the most accurate. What do you guys think?!20210824_211228.jpg20210824_211444.jpg20210828_230927.jpg20211028_112353.jpg20211028_112748.jpg
Click to expand...

@fullsun i have purchased the 1c blue LB loose but its cutting cannot measure up to yours. is it alright with you that I use your photos for my comparison in my blog? i have credited to photos to you.
 
La2020 said:
@fullsun i have purchased the 1c blue LB loose but its cutting cannot measure up to yours. is it alright with you that I use your photos for my comparison in my blog? i have credited to photos to you.
Click to expand...

Sure thing, go ahead and use them! And I would love to see your blog if you don't mind sharing!
 
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